Five Times Peter Parker Let the Bully Go, and One Time He Didn't
by buystoomanybooks
Summary: Never a day passed without Peter wanting to kick Flash's (or other bullies') ass. There are days when he refrains, and days he..doesn't. I suck at descriptions, sooo...5 1, my first fic, please don't judge I already know I suck
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello there! I want to warn you before you start, that this is my first fic, and I am my own editor, so not everything's going to be perfect. But, if there is a major flaw in the story or timeline, feel free to comment and let me know, so I can fix it! Also be wary of the fact that I freaking love Peter Parker and I freaking love Iron-dad and Spider-son so we'll probably get some of that in the near future. Also: this story does not have a specific timeline, but I assume it would be either in between Homecoming and IW, or AFTER IW and A4. Idk, you choose. Aaaand, one last thing: I am 100% sure that this fic will have spoilers for Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man Homecoming, and Avengers: Infinity War. If you haven't already seen those then what are you doing here. Go watch them. Now. Any-hoo, now I'm rambling, so I hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **-Allison**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to Sony and Marvel.**_

Chapter 1

( **Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.)**

( **Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.)**

 _Oh, for the love of God,_ Peter thought. There was a shuffle, a groan, and then a very tired, very grumpy, Peter Parker rose from his bed.

 _Why the hell did May make me put the alarm all the way over there? Jesus._

Peter stumbled across his room, eyes still closed, blindly reaching out to stop the incessant beeping. He had been out until 1 am last night, patrolling. He didn't realise how late it was until Mr. Stark had paged him, telling him to get his ass to bed.

After a good full minute of blind lunging, Peter opened his eyes and slammed his palm on the snooze button. Then, he saw the time.

" _ **SHIT!**_ " he yelled, reading the clock's time.

 _It's past seven o'clock. How did I oversleep?! And today of all days! May's gonna kill me when she gets home._

Peter rushed around the room, throwing on clothes at random. He knew full well that he'd missed the city bus, which meant he needed to get a taxi. Which meant he needed money. Money he didn't have much of.

 _Dammit,_ he thought bitterly. But he couldn't worry about that now, he had a presentation in first period. That period started in 15 minutes. He was also going to the Avengers facility later, with Mr. Stark. Today was not a good day to be late.

Peter flew through the apartment, grabbing his binder and keys on the way out. He raced down the stairs three at a time, not really refraining from using his incredible speed. Once he reached the street, Peter realised that it was, in fact, pouring rain. A detail he seemed to not have picked up very quickly.

As Peter attempted to hail a taxi, his spidey senses suddenly went into overdrive. He almost fell to his knees in pain. A headache that was definitely _not_ there 0.2 seconds ago was now pounding in his brain.

"Really? Now?!" Peter grumbled. He'd been having a lot of this lately, pounding headaches that clawed at his brain, heartburn that made him feel as if he was going to implode. Mr. Stark said it probably had to do with Peter's spidey senses simply being overwhelmed. He did live in New York, after all. Peter struggled to his feet, hoping the pain would soon recede. His arm still waved limply at the passing taxis, hoping one would notice him.

Quicker than he expected, a cab pulled up beside him, and Peter clambered in gratefully. After telling the driver where to go, Peter dug around in his bag, searching desperately for the Advil he knew was in there somewhere. After two minutes of no recovered pain meds, Peter realised.

 _He'd left them on the damn counter. Right where May had left them. Just. For. Him._

Peter let out a string of quiet but wildly creative curses, and then slumped over in his seat. One thing was for sure; this was gonna be one shitty day.

000

Peter's cab pulled up to Midtown Tech right as the clock struck 7: 45. Peter tossed some bills, thanked the driver, and flew up the steps. He didn't even bother stopping at his locker, he needed to get to class. He also noticed his headache had unfortunately not budged, and he still felt like shit.

 _THE PRESENTATION. THIS THING IS WORTH 20% OF MY ENGLISH GRADE._

Peter thought frantically, turning a corner at top speed.

His top speed may have been a tad too fast.

Without warning, without words, Peter slammed face first into something. Or rather, _someone._

He closed his eyes. Peter didn't need them to know exactly who he had run into, and what was coming.

"Oh, Penis Parker finally decided to show?" Flash Thompson's voice taunted.

Peter eased his eyes open. Flash, along with two of his cronies, or friends, (or whatever the hell those kids were to him) were lurking in the hall, blocking Peter's path.

"HEY! Look at me when I talk to you, Penis!"

Peter's attention snapped back to Flash, but not before Flash punched him in the gut. Pete knew it was coming, he always did, but he let it happen anyway. He let out a sharp breath.

"Wallet." Flash demanded.

Peter sighed, and pulled it out.

"Guess someone's just not having lunch today," Flash spat, pulling out a few one dollar bills.

"Or tomorrow, or the day after that-"

"Overmorrow." Peter mumbled.

"What? What did you just say to me?"

"Overmorrow, it's the day after tomorrow and-" Peter was cut off when Flash punched him, yet again.

"Don't be a smartass, Penis," he hissed, and began to walk away. After a moment though, Flash seemed to rethink this, as he came back and slapped Peter right across the cheek. Peter could already feel the mark it left, and he hoped it would be gone before he saw May that evening.

"You should really start getting to class on time." Flash finished, and then took off down the hallway. Peter stood alone for a minute, head still pounding, half debating going after Flash, because _Peter was Spider-Man, dammit,_ and he wanted to give Flash a taste of his own medicine. He certainly could if he wanted to. But as he had told Mr. Stark all those months ago;

" _Sure, I'd love to play football,_ _ **but I couldn't then, so I shouldn't now.**_ "

Peter knew how true those words were, so he stuck to them. He slowly gathered his belongings, dreading going to class. For one, he was hella late, and Ned was probably worrying his ass off. Not to mention that Peter still had a very important presentation to do, only now he had to do it with a Flash's-hand-shaped mark on his face. Yaaaay.

000

Six hours, thirteen minutes and forty-three seconds later, Peter hopped down the school's front steps. Despite his whole stolen-money-and slapped face shibang, Peter was in a relatively good mood. His presentation had gone well, and his headache was (thank the heavens) gone. He did, however, fret that the handprint on his face was still super visible, though it was faint when Peter had last checked. Hopefully, if Happy didn't notice anything, neither would Mr. Stark.

Peter could practically feel his face light up when Happy's car rolled up to the steps. Peter hopped into the car, with the usual "Hi Happy!"

"Hey kid." Happy responded. He glanced at Peter through the rear-view mirror as he drove away. "You good?"

Peter, was, admittedly, not expecting this question.

"What? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, real fine...why?"

"Well, you do have a big ass handprint on your cheek."

Peter sighed. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Not really," Happy reassured him, "I'm just trained to pick up on stuff like that."

"It really wasn't that big of a deal, it doesn't hurt and it's healing, and I just go with it because no one can know I'm Spider-Man and I just can't let-"

"Kid, kid!" Happy shushed. "It's fine. Here." He handed back a small jar of God-knows-what.

Peter took it and unscrewed the lid. Inside was a strange pink gel, kind of like vaseline.

"What is this?"

"Some sorta anti-redness cream. Boss gave it to me so if I ever needed to go undercover but hide bruises and stuff, I could." Happy replied.

"Huh," Peter said. This, he noticed, was definitely the most words Happy had ever said to him at one time. "Alright."

Peter dipped his fingers into the gel and rubbed it on his cheek, hoping sincerely that it would work. He stood up a little straighter, as to see his reflection in the mirror.

"Holy shit! It actually worked! Nice!" Peter laughed. "Can we, uh, maybe just keep this between the two of us? I really don't need Mr. Stark knowing that I let myself get beat up. He'd probably go full-on-dad-mode."

At this, Happy chuckled. "Sure thing, kid. But I gotta ask, do you always let the bully go?"

Peter groaned. "I wish I didn't have to, but when I'm Peter Parker, yes. Spider-Man, not so much. Maybe one day… Maybe one day they'll realize they've been picking on the wrong nerd."

Peter laughed quietly.

"Not any time soon, though. In like, thirty years. They'll see on the news;

Spider-Man's identity confirmed, 46 year old Peter Parker! And then they'll think: 'Holy shit, I bullied Spider-Man in high school!"

This time, both Happy and Peter laughed.

 _ **Ugh, I'm so sorry for that abrupt ending. I suck.**_

 _ **Anyways, TELL ME. Was it good, was it bad? What would you change? I'd love some constructive criticism, or any feedback, actually, so let me know! I'll have the next chapter up within the next few days, I still need to find a good posting routine. Until next time, read on!**_

 _ **-Allison**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I am. So fucking sorry. I TOOK FOREVER, I KNOW. (forever as in 9 months, go me) FORGIVE ME. PLEASE. ANYWay I'd like to start with FREAKING THANKING YOU for all the support and lovely reviews you left! They were super helpful, and I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it! I was deadass expecting a lot of hate, sooo ya'll made my day!**_

 _ **Special thanks to: Luckias, Melancholic Candy, Professor RJ. Lupin, and The-Thorns-On-A-Rose for the helpful reviews!**_

 _ **Also, i'm super sorry for not warning you guys, but this fic is not going to necessarily be focusing solely on Peter and Flash, but also the bullies Spider-Man deals with. Hence, this chapter. There will definitely be more Flash though, because he truly is fun to write. Anyways, this chapter is a bit different, so please let me know whether you enjoyed Peter Parker's or Spidey's chapter more. I think I prefer Pete, but I needed to mix it up a bit. Enjoy!**_

Chapter 2

 _ **Tip tap. Tap tap tap.**_ Peter's fingertips drummed across his desk. His eyes danced between Mrs. Coleburg and the clock.

 _2:21_

 _2:24_

 _2:27_

 _2:28_

 _2:29_

The shrill ringing of the bell signaled that class was finally over, and Peter shot out of his seat. Grabbing his bag, he zipped through the halls, rushing while they were still relatively empty. He made it to the east exit just as rush hour started, and he began to weave his way through the treacherous Queens traffic.

On any other day, Peter would have stopped by Delmar's, but earlier Flash had taken all of his money. (Again.) Therefore, Peter had eaten nothing but the granola bar he'd snatched for breakfast. His stomach rumbled impatiently.

Peter stood on the sidewalk, debating.

 _If I run home real quick I can grab some food before patrol...but then again, patrol is top priority, I should have already started…_

Suddenly, Peter remembered the last time he'd been late to Spider-Watching. Three people had gotten mugged in the six minutes Spider-Man wasn't around. (According to Karen's police watcher.) In that moment, Peter remembered how much Queens relied on him, so he ran around a small cafe to change.

He quickly threw off his sweater and jeans, and in less than a minute, Spider-Man swung over the roof of the cafe and landed on a nearby rooftop. Peter took a quick scan of his surroundings.

 _There's lots of noise, as always, but at the moment, everything seems…_

Before Spider-Man could think of the word _peaceful,_ the back of his neck gave a sharp tingle. Peter was on his feet in a flash of red. He knew that feeling as a warning. His head swiveled in every direction, looking for a cause. His eyes landed on a man, walking slowly on the sidewalk below him. He looked to be in his early forties, and he had scraggly red hair that fell past his cheekbones. The man strolled calmly, whistling a happy tune. Under the mask, the boy raised an eyebrow.

 _What the hell? Why…_

Before he could finish the thought, his spidey sense spiked again. This time he didn't hesitate. He shot a web and swung down a few meters behind the man. Peter trailed him loosely, wondering why the hell he was doing this. The man didn't _look_ evil or intimidating, but Peter trusted his senses, so he continued following.

After about five minutes, the mysterious man took a sharp turn onto a street well known as a, well, _not so great_ part of town.

"Ah," Spider-Man muttered. "I see how it is. What're you up to…?"

Another five minutes passed. And then Pete heard it. A fight. Not very loud, but the teen's keen hearing picked it up from afar. He leapt onto the roof of the building he had been sticking to, and peered over the side.

Three men, including the one he had previously been following, were closing in on someone. Peter couldn't see that someone's face, but the figure was petite and feminine. One of the figures looked oddly familiar...

Then, because Peter's luck was nonexistent, the masked hero's stomach gave a massive rumble. The heads of the three attackers shot up, and in that moment Peter a) realised where he had see the one man, he was one of Flash's friends! and b) got a good look at the girl on the ground.

He didn't know her, but she was a mess. Her body was laying flat on the ground, though she looked to be struggling. Her strawberry blonde hair, once neatly tied back, was tangled. Both her leg and shoulder seemed to be bleeding, but she seemed alright. And conscious, as it seemed. Upon seeing Spider-Man, she groaned and started to sit up. Unfortunately, this only caused one of the cronies to turn and punch her across the cheek. She collapsed again, holding back desperate tears.

Peter could feel the anger bubbling up inside him. These three men, or _boys_ , rather, (including one of Flash's little soldiers!) were beating an innocent girl, and who knows what else they would have done!

In a split second, Spider-Man launched himself off the roof and straight at the nearest attacker. The man yelped and stumbled back, but Peter webbed his feet in place. Attacker #1 hit the ground hard, knocking himself unconscious.

 _Thanks dude,_ Peter thought. _One less for me to take care of._

The furious teen whipped around, shooting a web at Attacker #2, who had pulled a gun. Peter snatched the gun and bent the barrel in with one hand. The man looked absolutely terrified. Spider-Man delivered a solid punch to the man, but he restrained himself, too. Peter knew very well that one full power punch from him could easily kill a man. He didn't want that.

Attacker #2 collapsed. Attacker #3, the one Peter had recognized, came flying at him. Immediately, Flash's friend attacked. He was a surprisingly good fighter, considering he was a completely normal 15 year old. Peter thought it felt weird, fending off and punching a person you see every day, even under the mask.

Uppercut. Block. Right hook. Dodge.

 _Duck. Strike. That one kick Nat taught you that you can't remember the name of. And BAM!_

Peter's opponent fell. After a moment, the worried teen spun around to help the girl. She was half sitting up now, brown eyes wide.

Looking down at herself, she coughed out; "Oh my God, thank you. Wow. Um. I'm sorry. You're Spider-Man, yeah?"

"Ha. Yeah, that's me," Peter stuttered awkwardly. He glanced down at his web shooters. "Are you alright? Can you stand?"

"Uh, yeah," she mumbled, struggling to her feet. "I'll be fine!" She said hurriedly as Peter rushed to help her. "My mum's a nurse, she'll help me patch these up." The girl gestured at her scrapes and bruises..

"Okay, good." Pete sighed. "Well, I can walk you home…?"

"No no, it's cool," the brown eyed teen reassured. "I live literally down the block, so I'll be fine. But, you know. Thanks. A lot."

"No problem." Peter smiled beneath the mask. "I would never have,well, _not_ helped you. I hate bullies, no matter what."

The girl turned to go. "Hey, actually-" Spider-Man started. She swiveled back. "Yes?"

"Can I ask… well, why exactly were these guys assaulting you? No offense, but you don't really look like someone who could have done much to offend them. At least not to the point of beating you up."

"Oh." She chuckled. "I go to school with that one…" She said, indicating the red-haired kid Peter had trailed. "And I broke his brother's heart."

Peter squinted. She went to Midtown Tech? He was sure that the ginger did, but he had never seen this girl. Suddenly, the back of his neck tingled. Peter flinched. Something was off about this one…

"Hello? Spider-Man?" Her voice invaded Peter's thoughts. "Did you hear me?"

Jumping to attention, the confused teenager repiled. "Yes. Yes, I was totally listening. But could you maybe repeat it for me?"

She laughed at that. "I was just saying that we attend West High, and I dated his younger brother. A real geek, that one. Goes to Midtown Tech. An asshole, too. Never treated me right, so I ended it. And he sent his brother after me."

Suddenly the puzzle in Peter's head solved itself. "Oh, so…" He took a closer look at the first cronie, the redhead. Now that he looked, he did look quite a bit older… and he had a goatee…Oh.

"So, uh, I had better get going."

For the second time, Spider-man snapped back to reality. "Right. You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. They had barely started when you found us, so… just a few scrapes, really."

Spider-Man adjusted his web shooter. "Alright, cool. I'll take care of these idiots," he said gesturing at the girl's attackers. She shot him a grateful smile, turned on her heel, and jogged away. Peter peered around the building, and upon seeing her enter a house that he assumed was hers, called it good.

He felt like an idiot, mistaking the attacker for his brother. They looked alike, but not _that_ alike. He was also ashamed for suspecting the girl. Tony had told him that his Spidey Senses were probably triggered by anxiety, which would explain the tingling. But Peter had jumped to conclusions and assumed the worst.

 _This is what happens when you start fighting crime in Queens at the age of 14. Paranoia. Nice one, Peter._ He thought to himself.

He turned to face the three unconscious men behind him.

For a moment, Peter had no idea what he was supposed to do now. Then he remembered the anger, the absolute _**fury**_ he had felt when he first saw the men. Peter moved to grab one of the men, but hesitated.

 _These guys… They're just bullies. Idiotic ones, but...They've probably learned their lesson. You're not one for revenge, just let them go._

A beat passed.

"Hey Karen?"

There was a quiet humming sound, and Peter's AI came to life. "How can I help you, Peter?"

Would you mind paging the nearest police station? Just let 'em know there are three guys webbed up behind 27th court." The teenager instructed, aiming his web shooter at Attacker #1. He shot several webs, guaranteeing that the guys would stay glued to the ground until the cops showed up.

"Already done, Peter," Karen's voice reported. "Would you like me to call Mr. Stark as well?"

"No no no no no, don't do that. Don't bother him. Mr. Stark said only to call in an emergency." Peter rushed to say. He didn't want to bug Iron Man if he didn't have to.

"Oh. I am programmed to notify Tony Stark of everything you do, and to offer you a chance to call at any time." Karen said, sounding as puzzled as an AI could.

"Almost seems like he wants you to call him," she added slyly. Peter snorted.

"All I needed you to do was call the cops, and now you're off making things weird."

The young hero slung a web and began to travel east, away from the crime scene. _Those muggers don't deserve my time_ , he decided, and besides, _I have better things to do… maybe like calling one Tony Stark and asking when I could come tinker. Like… now, maybe?_

 _ **Ugh this one ended up being short too, I'M SO SORRY FORGIVE ME.**_

 _ **I have to say, I'm hella nervous to post this chapter, because I, for one, like the first chapter a load better, mainly because I love reading about Peter's personal life more. So please please please comment below and let me know which you prefer. If y'all prefer Pete like I do, I might just continue with only his personal bullying experiences.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello! I hate myself for taking 9 months to upload Chap. 2, so I'm trying to get on top of my writing while I have the time. This past year I've been writing and planning a ton, but most of it will not be shared. I decided I wanted to come back to writing fanfiction, even this is my only posted story. I'm still pretty apprehensive w/ posting my content. Because honestly, even I love it, I feel like everyone else won't. So thanks to everyone for the supportive comments and tips. I know I write this is every intro, but really. Thank you all so much. The reviews and favourites make my days. Lots of Love,**_

 _ **-Allison**_

Chapter 3

Peter was having a great day. A rare occurrence, truly. He had gotten 7 hours of sleep (a luxury) , woken up on time, seen May before she left, he'd even had time to eat. He had taken the subway to school, and talked to MJ and Ned before class. It was going great.

Ned had said it was because Peter was being positive for a change. Peter, admittedly, was denying nothing. He was excited. Mr. Stark had been out for international meetings the past week and a half. Something that had to do with Wakanda, but that was all he was allowed to know. The teen had only managed 3 phone calls, all under 10 minutes. He had to confess. Pete missed Tony. He wanted to get back in the lab, and talk while they worked. Generally, they did this twice a week or so. And phone calls as often as possible. But not recently.

But, Peter supposed Mr. Stark had to come back some time. And alas… today was the day. The billionaire had flown in the evening before, but said that Peter had to wait a day. He promised to send Happy to pick him up, and then they could work in the lab. Finally fix Peter's ripped suit. And just… work. Tony was the only person Peter could be in comfortable silence with. Granted, the conversations were great too. But it seemed that Peter was never awkward with Mr. Stark. At least not anymore. At the beginning, Peter would stutter and cough and giggle, but something had changed between them. It was good change. And Pete was glad.

So in short, the young hero's day was going fantastic. At least until 5th hour.

000

5th hour was Gym. It was also Springtime, so the class was outside. Outdoor Gym was the worst. It was when the real bullying went down, with the field being so big. P.E. sucked in general, especially for Peter Parker. He had to be careful. Don't run too fast. Don't climb so well. Don't do so many pushups. He had always been Penis Parker, the weak, defenseless geek. He needed to pretend nothing had changed. And it was harder than one would think.

As the class did their daily jog, Peter hung in the back with Ned, fake-panting. "This sucks," his friend mumbled. "The least they could do is clear the rocks."

"Mmm." Peter grunted in agreement.

"So what are you and Iron Man gonna do today?"

"Ned!" Pete said indignantly. "That was loud, dude."

"Sorry." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "So what are you and Iron Man gonna do today?"

Peter snorted. "My suit has a bunch of tears I need help fixing…" He began.

"Really?" Ned whisper-cried. "You get an afternoon with Tony Stark- after two weeks of not seeing him- and you're gonna fix _suit tears_? There's no missions to do? No Avengers drama? No tea to spill?!"

Peter looked away, trying to hide his laughter. "No, Ned. You'd be surprised how little action there is. I mean, considering half of them are gone, and Natasha comes and goes…" He cut himself off. He didn't want to think about the disassembled team, about what they'd done to Tony. He needed to focus. "It's usually just him and Mr. Rhodey there, and sometimes Pepper, but she's usually busy."

"Hm."

The group slowed to a stop, and dispersed into groups. Most of the girls went off to play volleyball, and the guys also separated into different activities. Ned and Peter, as usual, went to walk along the track.

About 10 minutes into their walk, the two teens were interrupted by a group of very unwelcome kids. At first, Peter thought it was Flash at the front of the group, but upon closer inspection, he realised it was not.

The leader was in fact, Brian McKeever. Peter only knew Brian because of two things:

Brian was Flash's best friend and fellow bully.

That one fateful time Peter and Brian got paired together in Chemistry and Peter wanted to rip his eyes out.

Brian was, in fact, the younger brother of "Attacker #1" (as Peter had dubbed him) from the week before. The same red hair and beady blue eyes. Ned took a few steps backwards.

"So, _Penis_. I just wanted to let you know that Flash is out sick, and so you're my responsibility now." he turned and stage whispered to his friend: "Should we tell him that Flash has Penis-Pox? Because he does." He says, turning back to Peter.

Peter's hands balled into fists. He would control himself, as he always did. He would. "Is he paying you to say that? Because only Flash could come up with an insult that shitty." He regretted the word as soon as they left his mouth. That was not something Peter Parker would say. Too much sass. That was Spider-Man talking.

... oops.

"Ooh, Flash is gonna beat your ass when he hears that. Somebody write that down." Brian said, vaguely indicating at his friends.

"So, I wanna know how your _Stark Internship_ is going… inform us, Parker."

"It's great." Peter said tightly. "Thanks for asking."

"Please just leave us alone, man. We aren't bothering you." Ned interjected.

"No, but your faces are." The bully said, causing his group to snigger.

Peter ground his teeth. "Come on," He said, grabbing Ned by the elbow and starting to walk away. Ned, despite Peter's attempt to leave, turned and gave the group the finger.

"Aw, Leeds. I thought you would turn the other cheek… On second thought, don't do that, I'm sure it's just as ugly."

Before Peter could stop himself, he was back in front of Brian. His hand shot out out and caught Brian's shirt in his fist. "Shut. Up." The angry teen seethed.

Brian seemed taken aback. "I-" He began.

Peter raised a hand to slap him. Seconds before impact, his hand froze.

 _Shit,_ he thought. _Cut it the hell out, Parker._

He knew he was being aggressive. And he knew damn well he would get in trouble.

 _The bully is not worth it,_ he reminded himself. _The bully is not worth it._

Before he could do any damage, Peter shoved Brian away. The impact tore the bully's sweatshirt, and Peter looked at the scraps in his hand regretfully. Most teens would not have been able to rip thick fabric with such little force. But at this point, Peter didn't even care. He once again gripped Ned's elbow and marched away. This time, the posse didn't follow.

000

Happy pulled into Midtown Tech's parking lot at 2:30 exactly. Peter had gotten out as soon as possible, bading quick goodbyes to Ned and MJ.

"Hey, Happy!" He quipped, jumping behind the passenger seat of the car.

"Hey, kid." The man responded, as Peter dumped his things on the car floor. "Good day?"

"Ish."

Happy didn't press.

000

On the elevator, all of Peter moved. His fingers drummed, his feet tapped, his head bounced. He was so excited. He didn't even know why. It hadn't even been 2 weeks. It's not like he hadn't _talked_ to Mr. Stark. So what was all the exhilaration for? Whatever. Peter dismissed it. It didn't matter. He was going to fix his suit today, talk with Tony, and maybe even Nat was here. Who knew?

Peter had almost forgotten how much he loved Mr. Stark's labs. Especially his private one. Which Peter was allowed in. (wheeze). The layout was huge and weird and perfect. Peter had to weave his way through several broken and unfinished projects. When the kid had first come, there had been dozens more, dangerous ones, spitting sparks and setting off alarms. He remembered how Mr. Stark had steered him away from those ones, and the next time he'd come, they were gone.

Today, Peter didn't have to look for Tony. He was where he usually waited for Peter, near the front of the designated chemistry area. Without looking up, the man began speaking. "Hey, Pete. Just out of curiosity, did I already install glow webs? Because I think I didn't and they sound like they'd be pretty useful-" He was cut off as Peter ran up and threw his arms around the man. "I-" Tony started. "What-"

"Sorry" Peter said sheepishly, stepping back. "I just- I don't know. Sorry. That was uncalled for."

"No- kid, I don't care, I just wasn't expecting it." (Peter had a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Stark did, in fact, care.) "Sorry." He repeated. "I just- I missed you."

Tony looked taken aback. "You did?"

"Yes?"

"Oh." Mr. Stark paused, then reached over and ruffled Peter's hair.

"Oy!" The teen yelped. "That looked nice!"

"I like it better curly." Tony said simply. Peter snorted.

"Anyways," Tony said, beginning to assemble his tools, "Happy said you were acting weird earlier. School troubles?"

Peter took a minute to answer. He was baffled on how Happy had reported to Tony so quickly. But then again, not his problem. "Sort of."

"Was it Thompson?"

"Nah. One of his friends, a kid named Brian."Peter reached into his bag and pulled out his suit. Mr. Stark had known, of course, that it needed repairs. He had already gathered the things he needed.

"Did he hit you?" Tony asked, looking up from his work.

"No."

"Good. You hit him?"

"...Almost."

Mr. Stark looked at Peter. "You know can defend yourself."

"He didn't touch me, or Ned. I didn't need too. The fact that I had to restrain myself is… stressful."

"Peter."

The young hero set his tools down with a bang. "I could kill him. You know that, right? One punch. I could end his life. Or Flash's. Anybody's."

Tony cocked his head, looking concerned.

"They might annoy the shit out of me, but I don't want to hurt them. The bullies. If I went too far, they would die. I'm not risking that, Mr. Stark. Sorry." He added.

"Don't apologise. That's… really respectable, actually." Tony decided. He smiled at the boy. "Now, FRIDAY told me everything you did the past 2 weeks, but I kind of want a first person retelling…"

 _ **I hate my writing. I hope you didn't. Thank you for wasting your time on this.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi. I've decided that I really hate how repetitive this fic is, but I've also decided I don't care. I love writing it, and some of you seem to love reading it. (Lord knows whY) But my point is, I am completely self-aware of how incredibly repetitive these chapters are. If you hate it, that's okay, cause same. There's just no need to comment about it, because hONEY I KNOW. I'm also having a hard time coming up w/ new fic ideas, so if you guys have them, please leave them in a review! I will see them and take them into consideration. Thank you and enjoy!**_

 _ **-Allison**_

Chapter 4

When Peter awoke on Monday morning, he was in a dazzling mood. After his visit with Mr. Stark on Friday, Peter had patrolled in his newly fixed suit all weekend. May was out of town with work, and Peter had the apartment to himself and no one to report to. He had spent a total of 27.5 hours swinging around Queens, even venturing into upstate N.Y.C. But he had made the overzealous mistake of patrolling until 4 am. Then he'd gotten up at 6:30, going on barely 2 hours of sleep. So despite his overall happiness, he was tired as all hell.

On the subway to school, Peter had chugged approximately 3 cups of iced coffee, 2 Monsters and a Redbull, and a 5-hour Energy shot. And now he was hyper. But better that than sleep-deprived, he supposed.

Peter had met up with MJ and Ned at his locker to go to first hour. They had trudged their way through Psychology presentations, and then a 55 minute Social Studies film. Then came 3rd period, Peter's personal favorite. Chemistry. It was in this lab he'd first brainstormed and created the original web fluid formula. And the second. And the third. And then the fourth. (Most of them had failed consistently for his purposes.) Of course, now he had Mr. Stark's private lab to make whatever web fluids he wanted, as long as he (in Tony's wording) didn't die doing so. But he still loved Midtown Tech's.

He and Ned took a seat near the back, with Michelle perched in the table in front of them. Ned turned to him. "You look out of it. How much sleep did you get?"

"Six." Peter replied.

"Hours?"

"Minutes."

At that, Ned snorted. "Nice one, Spider-Man." At one point, Ned was thrilled that Peter was Spider-Man and would encourage anything he did, but he had gotten used to it. Now he chided Peter whenever he was out too late, or did anything _too_ dangerous.

Peter shushed his friend. "I swear to God. Can you just like. Not talk about Spider-Man so loudly?"

MJ swiveled around in her seat. "Ned has two voice levels: loud and louder. He can't help it."

Peter rolled his eyes. He was so filled with caffeine. His thigh bounced up and down under the table as he waited for class to start.

Just as he was about to voice his complaints about the wait, Mr. Cobbwell walked in.

"Alright, smarticles. Apologies on my tardiness. I had a student to deal with. But because I'm late, we're just going to jump right into it. Today's a lab day, we will continue our work on levels of acidity. Easy work, I know, but it's required. Students will be paired randomly in groups of two." And with that, he began calling out names, both for partnering and attendance.

MJ got partnered with Sally, who was nice, Peter supposed. A little overbearing, but also not his problem. He crossed his fingers to get paired with Ned.

"Ned Leeds, Cindy Moon," Cobbwell called out. Peter sighed. Ned and MJ were the only two people who was actual friends with, and everyone tolerable was now taken.

"Peter Parker, Eugene Thompson."

The teen groaned inwardly. Out of everyone in the damn class, he got paired with the one who despised him and thought him a liar. Great.

Flash shot up out of his chair. "It's Flash, if you would," He practically hissed at the teacher. Cobbwell glanced up, unbothered. "Okay, Flash. Come get your supplies."

Flash strode to the front of the room and snatched up the chemicals, and made his way back to his table. "I'm not coming to you, Parker."

Peter sighed and gathered his things. He slowly shuffled towards Flash's table, shooting Ned a "kill me now" look. When he arrived at the desk, Flash had already started the experiment, filling in his paper as well.

"We don't have all day, Penis." Flash hissed, his voice lowered. "Sit down and don't say shit."

Peter sat. While he wished he could argue, he knew better. If he cooperated, it would go (sort of) smoothly. As smoothly as it could, anyway.

"Actually, you know what, you can talk. I wanna know things anyway. How's good ol' Stark, anyways?"

Peter took a deep breath. "I'm not supposed to talk about the internship."

"You know how that looks, right? Makes you look like more of a liar than you already are."

"It's not my place to be sharing what goes on at Stark Industries," Peter said slowly.

"Because you don't actually intern. Just admit it, Parker. We all know it, anyway. Just tell the truth and I'll leave you alone."

Peter scoffed. "No you won't. You know damn well that's a lie. You can't even look at me without wanting to make fun of me. And for what? Lord only knows. That's just how assholes work, I guess."

Pete could see redness running up Flash's neck. "I don't like _liars, Parker._ You piss me off."

The spiderling bit his lip.

 _Don't engage. He's stupid. He's an asshole. But he's not a criminal for Spider-Man to beat. He is a peer._

Without saying anything, Peter reached over and grabbed a handful of the chemicals. He might be ticked, but he wasn't about to let Flash ruin his grade.

"Parker! Asshole! Answer me, you liar!" With that, Flash's had shot out, and met its mark. His hand collided with several beakers, and they all spilled. Every. Single. One. Right onto Peter.

The pain was sudden and hot. Peter yelped and shot out of his seat. The liquids, now all mixed together, had streamed onto his hand and forearm, and his thigh. They quickly burnt through the fabric of his jeans, exposing red, bubbling, irritated skin. The same thing was happening to his hand.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Fuck! Ow, holy fuck!" Peter wheezed, clutching his hand. His knees hit the floor. Somewhere, he heard Flash's frantic yelling and footsteps. He heard Ned and MJ, and also Cobbwell. But he didn't understand them. His vision was blurry. Peter thought he might pass out.

The teen felt hands gripping his elbows. "Get him down to the nurse. They'll need to call his parents."

 _I don't have parents,_ Peter wanted to say, but all his energy was gone. What was all that caffeine for?!

He distantly heard Flash and their teacher arguing. But their voices quickly faded away.

"Come on, dude." Ned's voice. "Shit, is he out?"

"I can't tell, man." MJ? Had she really gotten up to help him?

"Peter." A hand gently tapping his face. "Come on, we're almost there." Peter heard more yelling, and then his half awake body was passed into someone else's support.

"Oh dear. Chemical burns? These are bad ones, too." Was that the school nurse? Peter didn't know. He'd never met her. He heard more of Ned's voice, but soon it was gone again. It seemed the nurse had shut him out.

When Peter forced his eyes to fully open, he was on a medical cot in the nurse's office. The pain was dull now. Though he didn't think he could feel his wrist.

"Um, Martha?" Came an unfamiliar voice. When Peter managed to glance up, he saw the young receptionist. "The kid doesn't have any parents listed, but he does have an aunt. I tried her twice, but no one picked up."

"Oh." The nurse sounded concerned. "Is she his only emergency contact?"

"Well. That's the thing." It seemed the two didn't realise Peter was awake and listening. "He has one more. But…"

"But what?"

"Um, it's Tony Stark? His emergency contact? Is Tony Stark."

Peter started. Mr. Stark? Was his emergency contact? Since when? No one had informed him of this...

The nurse cocked her head. "The rich one?'

"The superhero one."

"Oh. Do you think he knows the kid?"

Peter wanted to interject. _I do know him._ He wanted to say. _Call him._

"I mean, how can he? This is just some normal 15 year old. But… his aunt isn't answering. Should I try and call him?"

"You know what? Go for it." And that was the last thing he heard.

000

It had taken Tony two weeks to convince May. For her to allow him to be the kid's emergency contact. Tony didn't really know why he had wanted to, but he also knew he knew Peter. And Peter was impulsive, and sometimes an idiot. If May wasn't around… He wanted to be.

He got the call at 11:03. The number was unknown on his cell, but FRIDAY informed him it was Midtown Tech calling. He immediately picked up. "Hello?"

A pause. "...Hello?"

"Yes?"

"Is this Tony Stark?" The voice was female, and young. And also terrified.

"Yes."

"Oh, okay." She didn't sound any more calm. "Um, it's just, you're listed as an emergency contact for a student and-"

"Is it Peter? Peter Parker?"

"Um. Yes. Yes, that's him. He got.. Hurt? Some kid-"

That was all it took. "I'm on my way." Tony hung up and strode from the lab. If the kid was hurt, he should have called Tony himself… unless he was too injured to do so….

Tony took a deep breath. Now was not the time to panic. He made it down to the garage and impulsively made the the decision to drive himself. It would be okay. It had to be.

000

Less than ten minutes later, Tony pulled up to Midtown Tech's parking lot. He parked as quickly as he could, and then rushed up the front steps. He was glad his tinted car windows had blocked any paparazzi from knowing it was him. Tony didn't think he could handle anything else that moment, let alone paparazzi. He threw open the from doors of the school and strode up to the front desk. Behind it was a small blonde woman, presumably the one who had called him.

He didn't wait for her to start. "Where is he?" Silently, she pointed to a door to his right, labeled "Nurse" in bubbly writing. Tony didn't think the situation called for bubbly writing, but he entered without question.

The first thing he saw was a frail woman, probably mid-50's, sitting at a desk to his left. The next sight nearly gave him a heart attack. Peter was unconcious, lying on his side on a small bed, white as a ghost. His right hand was covered in red and white blisters, most bleeding profusely. His right thigh showed the same injuries. Tony could feel the blood leave his face. He rushed and knelt by Peter's side. Brushing the kid's curls aside, Tony felt his forehead. No fever.

"He just passed out from the pain." Whispered the nurse. "Only the injuries. Chemical burns. I can't treat them."

Tony grimaced. Chemical burns? No way. The kid could handle chemicals better than he could. This was not an accident. At least not on Pete's part.

"Who did this?" He asked, looking up at the woman.

"I believe another student knocked the chemicals onto him. He's being held in the Principal's office."

The billionaire bit his lip. Peter first. Bully second. He scooped an arm under the boy and hoisted him into a sitting position. "Wake up, kid."

Peter shifted and groaned. "Mr. Stark? What're you doing here? I- shit-ow- am fine." His voice wavered. If anything, the kid sounded drunk. Tony would know.

"No you're not. We're going home, okay? We're gonna go back to the tower, and we'll get you looked at."

"No," Peter argued. "Gotta finish school." He seemed to have fully gained consciousness.

"No arguments. No excuses. We're going. Home."

Peter started to say something, but Tony cut him off. "Can you walk?"

The kid seemed to accept that he wasn't going to win. "Does limping count?"

"Sure." A beat passed. The nurse stood up and left. "Tell me honestly. Did Flash do this?"

Peter looked down. "Yes."

"On purpose?"

"Yeah."

"Damn. Let's go have a talk then." Tony gripped Peter gently by the elbow and lead him out. "Principal's office?" He asked.

The receptionist pointed, wide eyed, across the hall. "First door on the left."

"Thank you." The duo shuffled across the hallway. Not bothering to knock, Tony and Peter entered the room. Inside stood a man who Tony assumed to be the principal, and across from him a boy Pete's age. Behind the boy was another man. Flash's dad..?

The principal turned and did a double take. "Mr.- Mr. Stark!"

Flash and his father both stood and gaped at the sight of Peter, with Tony Stark standing behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder.

"Hi." Tony said with false sweetness. "I just wanted to have a word with Flash here."

"You'll do no such thing!" Flash's dad boomed. "He doesn't need to tell you anything!"

"Actually, he does. He needs to explain to me why he dumped dangerous chemicals all over my kid."

Flash flinched away.

The principal looked distressed. "Let's everyone calm down-"

"Then tell him to fuck off!" Flash's father yelled, pointing at Tony.

"Mr. Thompson, please just calm down-"

"You tell him to stay away from my kid!" Mr. Thompson seethed, beginning to lead Flash out.

"Then tell Flash to stay away from mine!" Tony shouted after them.

He sighed his apologies to the principal. He then veered Peter towards the exit. Dammit. This wasn't supposed to be a yelling match. He was so preoccupied with leaving that he didn't even notice: He'd called Peter his kid.

Peter, of course, did notice.

 _ **Jesus, that was long. And dramatic. I'm sorry. As Jenna Marbles would say, I have the "too much gene." But anyways. I'd also like to note that I'm going to try and have the complete fic up by the 25th. (I want to have it done before Endgame, because the fandom will be *cough* preoccupied *cough*) Thanks for tolerating my bullshit come to life.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**BONUS CHAPTER!**_

 _ **And here we have this. I don't know what this is. This has nothing to do with the story. (Not really) This is seriously just fluff that I wrote and then couldn't fit into the story. So here's what we'll call it: A bonus chapter! Still chapter 5, but take note that it isn't a normal chapter. Normally I'd bin it, but it's just too good not to share. Enjoy it if you can.**_

 _ **-Allison**_

Chapter 5

When Peter awoke, it was dark. He blinked rapidly, attempting to make them adjust faster. A few seconds later, overhead lights began to glow softly. "Hello, Peter."

The voice was clipped but kind. Electronic. "Karen?" Peter ventured.

"No. I am not Karen. I am FRIDAY, Mr. Stark's personal AI. You know me."

"Oh." Peter paused. "What time is it? Can you turn on the lights?"

"Surely, and the time is 6:47 pm."

The ceiling lights glowed brighter and brighter, until Peter could see all around him. He was sitting upright in a small bed. There were many more around him, all with bedside tables and carts. "Am I… am I in the Medbay?"

"Yes, Peter. I have already alerted boss of your consciousness."

"What-no, you don't have to bother Mr. Stark- he's probably busy-"

"Boss specifically instructed me to alert him when you awoke, and has been checking on you personally every hour."

Mr. Stark was… checking on him? But why-

Peter suddenly remembered. Chemistry class with Flash. Flash dumping chemicals on Peter. The burning and the blurry vision. Mr. Stark… had come to his school. And yelled at Flash's dad. He'd… Tony had called him his kid.

Peter couldn't remember much after that. He remembered getting in the car… and Mr. Stark telling him it was okay to sleep. That they were going home. Home. To the tower.

Before Peter could finish his thought, the door to the Medbay opened and Mr. Stark strode in. He looked quite, well, ruffled. His shirt was crinkled and stained and his hair was uncombed. He walked silently up to Peter's bed and knelt at the side.

A beat passed. "Hey kid."

"Hi."

"How're you doing?"

Peter hesitated. Truth be told, his hand was really sore beneath all those bandages…

"I'm good."

"Does it still hurt?" Tony inquired, moving to sit next to the teen's legs.

"Not really." Pete lied. Tony reached out and took Peter's injured hand. He began to tenderly unwrap the bandages. Once the hand was out, Peter breathed a satisfied sigh. The air was so cold. It felt wonderful. His skin was bright red and tender, but the sores were gone, as was the blood.

"That's why you passed out." Tony said. "Your body was so preoccupied with healing that it gave up on trying to keep you awake. That wouldn't have happened if you had gotten to bed on time…"

Peter rolled his eyes. "What time did _you_ go to bed last night?"

"Irrelevant."

"Uh-huh."

There was a pause where the two just looked at each other.

Breaking the silence, Peter asked: "Can I get up? I'm starving."

Mr. Stark nodded and stood. He gave Peter a hand, and when the kid stood, his leg felt no pain. Even the aches in his hand and forearm were fading. The two wandered out of the Medbay, up the elevator, and into Tony's private quarters. Peter had been here only a few times, on occasions where he had to grab something for Tony. Usually he stayed in the lab. He was comfortable in the lab. But here, Peter felt like he was intruding. Nonetheless, Mr. Stark led him into the kitchen and began digging through the cabinets. He tossed a few protein bars at Peter, who caught them all with ease.

Once he'd eaten, Mr. Stark led Peter to the couch. Peter sat, brimming with uncertainty.

"Can we talk?"

Peter paused. "About?"

"This!" Tony cried, taking Peter's wrist and displaying the red skin. "I know you're healing, but I need to know how and why this happened. In more detail than what the damn nurse gave me."

Peter flinched. Honestly, he didn't want to talk about it. He hadn't stood up for himself. He looked like a coward, just turning the other cheek for Flash to beat.

"Come on, Pete. I know it's hard, being you. I know Flash never leaves you alone. I have faith the school is smart enough to suspend him. But please just talk to me."

The young hero sighed. "We were in chemistry," He started. "And with my luck, Flash and I were partnered for the lab. When we got started, he started harassing me. Insisting that I was a liar. Trying to force me into saying things."

"Lying about what?" Tony interjected.

"... The internship."

"You can't be serious. You told me he bugged you, but you never said it had anything to do with this." He said, gesturing vaguely.

"Nobody believes I actually know you. Especially Flash. But it makes sense. I mean, when have I ever actually proved it? I can't. Because the "internship" is Spider-Man. And they _cannot_. Know."

Tony didn't reply, so Peter continued his story. "He was trying to pressure me into admitting I was lying. And he just kept going. And when I kept telling him no, he lost his temper. He knocked over the test tubes."

"... So he was continuously bugging you and you just… let him?" Tony looked legitatmently baffled.

"Mr. Stark. I've told you before. I can't risk it. Flash is just a dumbass with no filter. He'll figure himself out. I just have to let him."

"But- kid- you can stand up for yourself!" Tony cried, looking actually distressed.

"No. I can't. Because the few times I have, I almost went too far. I'll endure it. And besides, I think you may have scared him off…"

Tony snorted. "You think?"

"I think now he knows I wasn't lying. At least about knowing you."

"Well, he better leave you the hell alone. And Peter- if he doesn't- you tell me. I can have that kid expelled in a heartbeat."

Peter remained quiet. He didn't need Flash expelled. At least not for now. For now he was safe… at school anyway.

The tension was tight for a minute. Suddenly, the lounge door banged open, and a red and black blur flew through, flipping over the back of the couch and landing a a criss-cross position. Natasha sniffed.

"You're awake!" She said. "No one happened to tell me that, though." She added, shooting a pointed look at Tony.

"Hi, Miss Natasha." Peter said, smiling despite himself.

"I heard what happened. How are you feeling?"

"Much better. It really wasn't that bad." Peter replied. He tried to maintain eye contact, because he was trying to discreetly hide his hand. She can't know that he'd already healed. She didn't know who he was. Well, that's to say, she didn't know he was Spider-Man.

When Peter had first started coming to the tower regularly, he never saw the infamous Black Widow. As far as he'd known, she rarely came, and it was always simply to keep up with Tony, and help him with Avengers business. Pretty soon, however, he knew that wasn't true. Natasha was around a lot, and when she'd first met Peter, he had to pretend he'd never seen her. He also had to pretend he wasn't hyperventilating. Within two weeks of knowing him, Natasha insisted on training the boy in self defense. It was incredibly difficult for Peter to pretend he didn't know most of things she was teaching him, and the fake losing to her. But it was okay. Peter and Natasha had gotten closer, had become _friends_ even, and they both appreciated the occasional company.

Snapping back to reality, Peter watched Natasha ask Tony to talk, and they both left for the hallway. The exhausted teen sighed and sat back. How was he going to explain this to his teachers? To May? _Oh, I was just harassed and then attacked with dangerous chemicals. Then Tony Stark showed up to my school, screamed a little, called me his kid, and then helped me recover._ May would lose her shit. May. He hadn't called her. She wouldn't be back for two more days, but they liked to keep in touch. Had Tony called her…?

On second thought, Peter didn't think he wanted May to know about the incident. She'd only worry.

Before Peter could finish the thought, Mr. Stark and Miss Nat returned. While Nat elected to plop back down on the couch, Mr. Stark walked to the elevator and turned. "I'll be back in a giffy, kid. Sit tight." And with that, he was gone.

Natasha turned to Peter. "So. Tony told me that you shouldn't be here." Upon seeing Peter's face, she chuckled. "Not that he doesn't want you here. I don't think you _or_ him realise how much he cares for you. But besides the point. He said your aunt is out of town?"

"Yeah."

"What does she do?"

"She's a nurse. And she travels for it. It's the best pay she can find…" Peter trailed off. He found he didn't quite want the Black Widow knowing their poor financial status.

"Hm." Was all Natasha said.

After a moment, she continued. "So… is she like… all your family?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"...No parents?"

Peter looked up at the curious assassin. "No. They died a long time ago." He decided, not wanting to elaborate. But before he could stop himself, he _was_ elaborating. "Plane crash. I had an uncle too… he… he was murdered."

Natasha took a sharp breath. "When?" She breathed.

"Less than a year ago."

"Oh. I'm really sorry. I… know what it's like."

Peter glanced up at that. She did? Now that Peter thought about it, he didn't really know her backstory. He didn't know her family had died. "Oh," was all he said.

The woman shrugged. "I barely remember them. But it's hard sometimes… never truly knowing what it's like to have a family. And… knowing you never will."

Peter felt that her last words were important to Nat. But they also sounded sensitive. He didn't press.

Before either of them could say anything, Natasha's cell phone rang. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen. "Sorry," she said, looking up. "I have to take this."

Peter shrugged. "No problem."

Natasha stood and left, quickly and quietly. Seconds later, the elevator beeped and Tony stepped back out. "Where's Nat?" He inquired, looking around.

"Had to take a call." Peter supplied simply.

"Alrighty. By the way Pete, since your aunt is still out of town, and you are sure as hell not going to school tomorrow… you wanna just give it a rest and spend the night here? We have plenty of spare rooms on this floor, and Nat and Pep are both here for the night."

Peter was taken aback. Stay overnight? At Stark Tower? Wasn't that kinda intrusive…?

"Um. I mean. I don't have any of my things, like not even a toothbrush-"

"Not a problem, kid. I'm Tony Stark. You think I don't have extra toothbrushes? And even if I didn't, that I wouldn't buy them? Do you even know me at all?" The older man gasped, pretending to be insulted.

"Okay. I'll stay… IF you promise I can Spider-Man tomorrow."

Mr. Stark paused. "Only if you're completely healed by then."

That was good enough for Peter.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Good morning my ears hurt from all the BLACKPINK I can't stop listening to**_

 _ **Besides the point**_

 _ **Thank you all for the support on the last few chapters, along with the tips. (which are super helpful btw) I definitely wouldn't have continued writing this if you guys didn't leave your lovely reviews and favourites. Thank you all so muchxoxoxo**_

Chapter 6

Peter Parker awoke at exactly 7:45 am the next morning. As his vision cleared, he could see soft yellow light streaming through the window. The window was open, and a pleasant breeze ruffled the teenager's natural curls. He yawned.

 _Get up._ He thought. _This is Mr. Stark's house. Tower. Apartment? Whatever. If you play nice, you can patrol today._

Oddly enough, despite his recent injuries, patrolling was exactly what Peter wanted to do. He wanted to swing around the city and pin the bad guys. He wanted to feel the excitement of making a high jump, of running up walls. So without a second thought, Peter leapt out of bed. He hurried around the room, throwing on the change of clothes Mr. Stark had left him. (Where had he even gotten these? They were exactly Peter's size.)

He jogged to the attached bathroom and brushed his teeth, all while running a careless hand through his hair.

The young hero somehow managed to find his way to the kitchen without getting lost. Once he was there, he stood in front of the sink, torn. He was hungry. But… not hungry enough to rummage through Tony Stark's kitchen. Peter turned and walked into the living room. But before he could sit down, a voice called out: "Not gonna eat, kid?"

Peter jumped, doing a 180 degree turn midair. When he found his footing, he found Rhodes staring at him from the back of the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee.

How had Peter not sensed him? He was probably staring the entire time… but then again, his Spider abilities usually only sensed dangerous things… and the man staring at him clearly wasn't. Peter vaguely wondered if he could beat Mr. Rhodey in a fight…. He dismissed the thought. What did it matter? He liked Mr. Rhodes. Why would they fight?

"Kid?"

Peter was snatched from his thoughts. "Sorry. Um. I. Hi."

Rhodey looked as if he were trying not to smile. "Hi, Peter. I asked if you were gonna eat? You came in here and stared at the sink for five minutes before leaving. You hungry or no?"

Peter hesitated. "Yeah," He said cautiously. "I just…. It's Mr. Stark's food, I couldn't just-"

"Come on. You know the man lives off takeout anyway." Rhodey gestured for Peter to come back to the kitchen, and Peter obeyed. Soon the older man had cooked up a hefty breakfast of toast, bacon, eggs, toaster strudels, and tea. The hungry teen ate nearly all of it, grateful. Peter himself was a hopeless cook. In his freshman year he had attempted a baking class with Ned, but they almost set the kitchen on fire countless times. (Excluding that one time when they actually did). Rhodey watched it all with a small smile. "So you _were_ hungry."

Peter gave a satisfied sigh and a thumbs-up. Rhodes accepted that answer. After ten minutes of somewhat awkward silence, the man excused himself, talking of meetings. Peter got up and moved to the couch, not knowing what to do. He hadn't brought his schoolbag home, since he was too busy trying not to die. He also was missing his phone, so he couldn't text… or even play around on it. He had no books. Nothing to do but wait.

000

As it turns out, Peter was pretty bad at waiting. It had only been 20 minutes, yet he couldn't stop fiddling. Drumming his fingers. Picking at his jeans. Picking at his scabs. Tracing patterns on his thighs as he sat. Peter searched the room for a clock. He couldn't find one. Then it occurred to him. _Dumbass._

"...FRIDAY?"

A quiet buzzing sound came on. "Yes, Peter?"

"Hi. What time is it?"

"The current time is 8:03 am. It is also Friday, November 12th."

"Thanks, FRIDAY."

There was a pause before he spoke again. Where's Mr. Stark?"

"Boss is in the lab. He said you could join him, if you like."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?!" Peter cried, leaping up.

"You never asked."

000

When Peter got down to the lab, he was practically skipping. "Mr. Stark?"

He heard the reply from behind a stack of what looked like metal scraps. "Over here, Pete."

Peter picked his way over. "What is all this?"

"Eh. Mostly scraps from all the times I've had to fix DUM-E. The name suits him."

"... Okay." Peter was smiling despite himself. "So…"

Tony already knew. "You wanted to know if you can patrol?"

"Uh. Yeah. That."

Tony held out his hand. "Let me see."

Peter obediently held out his arm. "Look! It's all healed, it isn't even red anymore!"

Tony, apparently satisfied, let the kid's arm go and looked up. "You sure?"

"Yes. I need out."

Tony started to say something, and then paused. "Do you- Pete, do you even have the suit?"

Peter blanched. He did not have the suit. It was in his bag. In his locker. At Midtown Tech. "I… do not. BUT. It is safe."

Tony shrugged. As long as it's locked away. I have some extras. You can just use one of those."

Peter took a minute to process that. "Ex- extras?"

Tony glanced back up. "Yeah. What?"

"There are extras?" Peter breathed.

"Yes?"

"Oh."

Tony looked confused, but also unbothered. I'll dig one up for you." He walked towards the door, but before he left, he paused. "Have you eaten?"

"Um, yeah. Mr. Rhodey made me breakfast."

Tony smiled softly at that. "Okay." And he was gone.

000

Less than half an hour later, Spider-Man was out on the town. Peter had never felt so free. Flying through the air, he shot a web at a nearby apartment building. It caught him inches from the ground, and he pulled and propelled himself up again. This was the best. Even if Peter hadn't decided to be a super-hero, he still would have wanted this. Of course, the first time he'd tried it, he'd nearly broken his neck. Twice. Possibly more than that. But now… he wouldn't trade the feeling for anything. (Well. Maybe a few things.)

After an hour of listening to police scans with Karen, Peter didn't think he'd have any crime to stop today. Which for New York, was so rare it was almost suspicious. However, before he could finish the thought, Peter had the sudden urge to turn around. So he did. His eyes automatically went to a girl walking below him. She looked college-age, maybe 22 or so. She was pretty, with dark, fluffy hair styled up and warm brown skin. She was walking leisurely, head down and earbuds in. Peter's eyes trailed after her. Why did he feel the need to watch…?

The spiderling's question was answered only seconds later, when the girl suddenly looked up. She took out her earbuds, frowning. She was looking at someone, but they were not in Peter's line of vision. So, quietly as he could, the teen leapt across to the next rooftop, peering over the side. He was on top of a cafe, and the girls' eyes were focused on two men below, in the small outdoor dining area. He leaned forward and tried to listen. Despite his keen hearing, the NYC bustle blocked much of the conversation. But Peter did pick up some of it. He caught the words "bitch" "sexy" and "slut" several times before taking action.

Spider-Man hopped off the roof, landing directly behind the girl. She spun around, and he briefly saw tears in her eyes. Peter rotated to face the men. To his disgust, they were both older white men, probably mid 40's. Spider-Man could feel the anger rising. "What are you doing?" He demanded.

The first man looked unfazed. "Nothin' you need to be worrying about. Get lost."

The man's partner looked at him in confusion. "Al, that's Spider-Man!"

"Al" didn't seem to care. "Get out, _Spider-Man._ All we wanted was to take this beauty for a ride." He drawled, eyeing the girl behind Peter. The teen rotated.

"Do you know these guys?"

The woman shook her head rapidly. Her eyes screamed _Help me._

Spider-Man turned on his heel. "Then I think it's _you_ who has to get out."

Both men stood up. Peter quickly realised how big they were. Not intimidating, but big. "No." Al supplied. But before he could say anything more, Peter was on them. He shot a web at the balcony above and swung forward, landing a solid kick to one of their faces. He didn't catch who. He didn't think he cared.

Spider-Man used his momentum to leap onto the wall above their heads. He spun and kicked. Punched a few times. They were no competition, no matter how hard they fought. One of them, the one named Al, grabbed his companion and leapt over the decorative gate. Peter expected more fighting, but the man took off in the other direction. The superhero took a step forward, then retracted it. He didn't need to follow.

 _Letting the bully go is becoming your greatest talent,_ he thought to himself. Whatever. They'll have learned. Hopefully.

Peter turned and faced the woman, who had not moved. She stood staring wide-eyed at him, along with any other civilians around. He scratched the back of his head uncertaintly. "Uh… you did need help, right?"

A broad grin took over her face, and she jumped forwards, throwing her arms around him. Peter stepped back, surprised. Slowly, he returned the hug. After a moment, she stepped back. "Thank you." She whispered. "I try to avoid walking alone… this has happened before."

Peter nearly did a double take. "This… isn't the first time?"

"No… I mean… I'm a young black woman walking the streets of New York. Lots of street harassment happens. Not necessarily to me, but.. Like in general. It's not that surprising, really."

 _Oh… I guess that does make sense._ Pete felt so bad for the girl. Even if she wasn't being attacked… it was mean. Peter didn't hesitate before offering to walk with her. "Just so you feel extra safe," He'd said. The walk was quiet, comfortable, and short. That was one of the perks of the suit. Everyone liked Spider-Man, so talking with him was, if an ordeal at all, the best kind. He dropped her off at the front of her apartment complex, receiving countless more thanks.

Peter smiled as she jogged inside. Even if he'd let the harassers go, he'd brought her home safely. And that was all that mattered.

 _ **Ew**_

 _ **At this point, my writing is 96% fluff and 4% Peter actually dealing with bullies. Why am I doing this again?**_

 _ **Thank you for *cough* suffering *cough cough* reading!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Guess who's writing her last chapter! This beech!**_

 _ **I would just like to thank you all for the wonderful support on this fic, even though it's rough… I just can't appreciate you enough. I also hope that this is a sufficient ending, and that it satisfies you readers. I'm trying to upload this quickly, because I want to have it up before Endgame. (understandable. I hope.) So anyway, I hope you enjoy the final chapter!**_

 _ **EDIT: I did, in fact, not have this up before Endgame.**_

 _ **I saw it yesterday. And I will have everyone know that I am NUMB AND IN DENIAL**_

Chapter 7

The Final Chapter

Aunt May had gotten back two days ago. By then, Peter had left the compound and returned to the little apartment he and May shared. The boy and Mr. Stark had agreed not to tell May about the chemical incident, only telling her he'd gotten sick and went home early. She didn't know that Peter had stayed at the tower. She didn't need to, though. Peter knew that would only stress her out. So he had kept his mouth shut.

It was Tuesday morning, and Peter was actually doing okay. He had tried to patrol late last night, but around 11, Mr. Stark called him and demanded he go home. (Threatening that he could see every move Pete was making, and if he didn't get his ass home, the suit would be taken again.) Spider-Man had headed home quickly, showered, and was asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

He'd woken up on time and even managed to eat before heading to school. He was hoping that the added energy would keep Peter from Flash. Unfortunately, the bully had only received two days of suspension, but he was serving detention the next week. (Hallelujah.) Today was Flash's first day back, but Peter was crossing his fingers. Maybe seeing that Peter wasn't lying about Tony Stark would deter the motive. But for all the teenager knew, it might just encourage it.

Throughout the day, Peter received some questioning looks, showing that word had gotten around about his incident. But Ned and MJ had done a pretty good job covering for him, and he'd intentionally worn long sleeves that day. (Not to hide his injuries, but rather the absence of them.) Excluding his peers' curious glances, no one bothered Peter. He appreciated the lack of attention. And, fortunately for him, Flash was still the only one who knew the truth about Mr. Stark. The only one (except MJ and Ned, of course) who knew Peter wasn't lying. Hopefully it would stay that way, though Peter was almost positive it would. Flash wouldn't admit he was wrong if his life depended on it.

The day remained normal enough. Peter managed to get all of his late work turned in, and even some of his current homework, which he'd completed during his (now temporarily exempted) gym class. (Mr. Stark had made Peter promise not to participate, and even gave him a note. He'd argued that it wouldn't make sense for Pete to have healed so quickly. But the teen suspected there was something else to it.) he had a new assignment in AP Lit. Nothing new in Chemistry. Math homework was done. He was mentally checking things off the list. He had promised Mr. Stark that he would only patrol if his work was complete, so he was busting his ass.

Nobody really talked to Peter that day. No one approached him. Nothing from Flash. Nothing from Brian. Not even a snarky glare. No bullying… it was kind of an odd feeling.

When the final bell rung, Peter thought he was free. Which, technically, he was. He just thought the day would be… _aggressive interaction_ free. The young man had just closed his locker when he noticed it. Something was wrong. And… where was Ned? He was supposed to meet him at his locker…

Then, out of the blue, he heard it. He doubted anyone around him could too, but his enhanced hearing made it easy. There was yelling. It sounded like… jeering. Mostly out of curiosity, Peter made his way towards the shouting. Soon, he could make out what exactly was being said.

"You really think we'd believe you? Or him! Dumbass!"

There was a chorus of cheers. Peter started to jog.

"Liar! Liar! Liar!" The words were being chanted, over and over. Peter sped around the final corner, skidding to a stop. What he saw shocked him at first… but then made his blood boil.

It was a well sized group, maybe ten kids total. They were in a circle, lurking over a crumpled figure on the ground. It wasn't hard to see that the figure was a person, and that the person was Ned. They were kicking him. They were shouting. And laughing. Peter couldn't make out the words anymore.

He almost threw himself into the fray, but as he began to move, he heard, of course…. Flash's voice.

"Is Penis Parker gonna save the day?" the bully jeered. "With what, though?" He wondered aloud. "His daddy's money?"

Peter's vision went red. Not only was that a harsh nod towards Peter's dead father, but also to Mr. Stark. Peter's fists curled at his sides, the tips of his nails breaking the skin of his palms.

Flash raised his eyebrows. "Nothing to say, Parker?"

Peter inhaled. Exhaled. He needed to focus. Keep their focus on him, not Ned. He took another deep breath. "Let him go," He said, teeth clenched. "He didn't do anything to you."

It was then that Brian decided to step in. "Actually, that's ironic. He was annoying the hell out of us… trying to backup you and your lies. Knows Spider-Man, my ass…"

Peter flinched at the words. Ned was on the floor, bleeding and in pain, to defend him.

 _Why are you like this, Ned?_ He thought. _Why can't you just let it go?_

The hidden hero clenched his jaw. "If you are mad at me, then talk to me. He doesn't deserve to be collateral damage."

"Oh yeah?!" Flash's voice was raised. He took a step towards Ned and kicked him. Hard, right in the stomach. Peter's best friend cried out in pain, shrinking away. He tried to scramble towards the lockers, but Flash once again intercepted him. Well, tried to.

Before Peter could stop himself, he had lunged out and caught Flash by the collar of his shirt. Rotating his wrist, Peter whipped Flash around to face him.

For a moment, Flash actually looked stunned. But he soon regained his senses, and shot out a fist, aimed to be a perfect right hook. And it would have been, if Peter hadn't dodged it so easily.

It hit Peter suddenly; what he had done. He'd gotten himself into a mess, into a fight. And now what? He knew he should fight back, but risk revealing his powers? He recalled Tony's stressed words: "You can stand up for yourself!"

Damn straight.

Peter stood and shoved Flash away, knowing full well what was about to happen. Brian stepped forward, but Flash put an arm out. "All of you. Out." He hissed. "This is between Parker and me."

The group evacuated quickly, and Peter even thought he heard one mumble: "Yeah, I think I mighta left my stove on, soooo.."

Peter began before Flash could. "And I."

"What?!"

"You said: "Between Parker and me. It's 'Parker and I.' "

Before he could finish, Flash, (in an ironic props to his name) flung himself at Peter, tooth and claw. He tried to uppercut, to hook, to kick, to slap. And Peter moved around each and every one, hoping to tire him out.

Flash suddenly changed tactics, diving towards Ned. Peter dove too, meeting Flash halfway there. He punched him, in the jaw. Not nearly as hard as he could, but still hard, especially for a… well. Regular person.

The bully was on the ground, holding his jaw. "The hell," He grumbled.

Peter made the sudden decision to end the fight there, fair and square. As Flash began to get up, the young hero strode over and delivered a sharp kick to the calf. Flash went down again, panting. Peter was not out of breath, the fight had been a breeze, really. He glanced down his nose at his bully. "I have put up with you. Every day. For years. You can take this time to be thankful for me not doing this every time." And with that, Peter retrieved Ned, and walked away.

000

As it turns it out, Ned was able to walk just fine. In fact, he was doing very well, with the only notable injuries being the bruises that decorated his body. He shuffled along in silence, sparing the occasional glance at Peter.

Peter walked more quickly, desperate to get away from the scene. He knew what he'd done.

 _You done fucked up, Peter._

The teen sighed in exasperation. They were already four blocks from the school, heading towards Ned's place. Peter stopped without warning.

After a few steps, Ned slowed to a stop, too. "You good?"

Peter looked up. His heart clenched with guilt. "Yeah." He managed. "But- um- do you think you can make it from here? I- I need to go."

Ned didn't even look disappointed. He probably thought his super-friend needed to patrol the big city. "Yeah, I can. I know where I am, man. Go."

Peter smiled gratefully. He turned on his heel and jogged away. When he found sufficient cover in a brisk alley, he changed into his suit as quickly as he could. He didn't even bother hiding his backpack, just slung it over his shoulder before he took off. He didn't even register how reckless that was, he just kept going. Swinging from rooftop to lampost, and back to a rooftop, Spider-Man felt no freedom. No relief. Peter found himself heading upstate. Before he knew it, he was flipping onto the roof of Stark Tower.

The harsh winds around him didn't even faze Peter's stride. He made his way into the small roof entrance. Summoning the keypad, he typed in his personal passcode. Mr. Stark had given him one when it occurred to them that Peter might need into the tower in an emergency. The hero didn't think this qualified as an emergency, but he needed the lab. He needed to set some shit on fire.

000

Ten minutes later, Peter stood alone in Mr. Stark's lab. He was still in his suit, but his mask was lying on top of his backpack in the corner of the room. He took three deep breaths, just like Karen had instructed him when he was stressed. After a moment, he exhaled the final one. The teenager didn't know where Mr. Stark was, but he almost didn't care. Even with his anxiety spiking, he began pulling out liquids out. He needed more web fluid, anyway.

000

Tony had just finished his final meeting of the day. Pepper had assured him that his schedule was free afterwards. He had barely left the elevator when FRIDAY spoke up.

"Sir, Peter's in the lab."

Tony stopped and tilted his head. "Huh?"

"He arrived through the rooftop entrance about half an hour ago."

"And you're telling me this now?"

"Pepper asked me to not interrupt the meeting, so yes."

Tony sighed and began to make his way to his lab. "What is he doing?"

"He appears to be simply making web fluid. Though he came here in the suit, and he hasn't interacted with me or his own AI."

Huh. That was weird. The kid loved his AI. What had he named it? Kathy? Karen? Karen, that was it.

A few minutes later, Tony entered the lab. He made his way to the east corner, where Peter preferred to work. And just as he thought, Pete was there, sitting on a stool and dripping blue liquid into a tube of clear goop.

The man walked closer. He knew Peter will have sensed him by now, so he just decided to announce himself. "Hey, kid."

Peter looked up. To Stark's own surprise, the kid's eyes were red. He… he looked as if he'd been crying. Without a second thought, Tony sat down. "What happened?"

Peter looked simultaneously angry and sad. "I barely held back," He whispered, not meeting the older man's eye.

Tony took a second to digest the words. He hesitated. "Did- did you- was it Flash?"

Peter nodded silently.

Tony seemed to forget how to speak. He didn't even know what he's say.

Peter looked up. "I don't think I really hurt him, but I- I just shouldn't have done it." He paused. "But they had Ned. I couldn't do nothing."

"Peter… You had every right. And if that school tries to tell you otherwise, I'll march in there myself and give them a piece of my mind."

Peter looked up with shock. "You aren't pissed?"

"No, kid. I knew you'd snap eventually. And if nobody's seriously hurt, then I'm not worried."

Peter let out a long breath. "You won't tell Aunt May? The school might try to call her, but I don't even know if they know it was me…. They wouldn't think Peter Parker could shut up Flash."

Tony smirked. "They're off by a long shot, then."

Peter sighed. After a moment, he lifted his head and cracked his neck. "Then I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He stood and began to gather his things. "I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Stark, I know I shouldn't have abused the code and-"

"Hey-hey! Where are you going?"

The teen paused. "Uh- home? I shouldn't have intruded,"

Tony cut him off again. "You don't need to go home. I have time, I was going to join you."

"...Really?"

"Yep. I have some new web fluid ideas too…"

The teen practically threw down his things and joined Tony back at the bench.

"And Pete, I hope you know that this is your home too."

 _ ***confused pterodactyl screaming***_

 _ **Why why why did I choose to write such a short fic?! I love it I-**_

 _ **Awwwww I'm just so pleased with the story and everything I did. I'm also so blessed to have all of you readers who are spending their time on my writing.**_

 _ **thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou**_

 _ **All for reading this shit. I'm absolutely desperate for fic ideas so please if you have any requests- feel free to DM me. I try to respond to all my messages, and I will see it.**_

 _ **Finally, a small sidenote: Like I said earlier, I already saw Endgame, and I've considered all that happened, but I don't think I am going to alter future fics. Please let me know if you want stories set BEFORE OR AFTER Endgame. I love writing fluff, so I will probably continue to write these characters (in a world where Endgame doesn't fUckiNg happen because my children need a break). I also might just write in an alternate universe where Infinity War never happened, so we can stick with that Iron Dad shit. Idk. Let me know.**_

 _ **Lots of love, (and a little remorse at leaving this story)**_

 _ **-Allison**_


End file.
